Beyond Infinity
by SKesareP
Summary: After the events of Ragnarok, Thor returns to Earth to inform what remains of the Avengers of the recent events. When Loki returns to your life as well, you are placed in a multitude of straining situations while trying to sort your feelings for him. Just the thought of him engrosses you entirely, but where will you two end up, especially when he reveals the most shocking secrets?
1. Thor's Arrival

You were on your way to the train station, so you could get to the Avengers Headquarters, which was based upstate. You thought to yourself, today began quite wonderfully. For once, you didn't struggle to rise out of bed, thanks to the dapples of sunlight that assisted you. And deciding on your attire was a breeze as well, you wore your favorite pieces: a well-fitting lilac blazer (perfectly folded at the lapel), a matching pencil skirt that stopped right above the knee, and lilac heels, so your choice of garments matched perfectly. It goes without saying that your favorite color was, unequivocally, lilac. Your hair was affixed into an up-do, a few stray strands fell across your face, but it was nothing a good swipe from one side of your face to another couldn't solve.

Manhattan was your walkway, you sashayed down each block, compelling attention from everyone who passed by. Or so you thought, until your heel caught onto an air vent in the ground, and you lurched forward suddenly, not only spilling your coffee onto your shoes, but showcasing your off-white panties to the whole block as well. _Wonderful._ You let out an exasperated scream, as if all your sense of rationality just ran away and took your sanity with it. Not that anyone cared, though. Although you didn't fail to catch the stares of many people on the sidewalks as they strutted by, after a few moments, the attention dissipated.

Feeling defeated, you decided you would just go home and call in sick for today. Besides, who wants to congregate with the Avengers with coffee stained shoes? That would be a disgrace. Just as you were about to turn your heels and head in the other direction, something caught your attention. It was a man on a Harley-Davidson. That haircut, with the articulate design on the side of his head. His profile seemed awfully familiar. Could it be…? You sped towards him as he was stopped by the light and you caught him just in the nick of time. It was indeed Thor, the God of Thunder. With an _eyepatch._ He turned to look at you, not recognizing you, though.

"Thor!" You exclaimed as you came to a halt. His features changed when he finally placed a name on your face and a label on your voice. "(Name)!" The Son of Odin brightened, and wasted no time parking on the curb to exchange words with you. "What brings you here?" you inquired. Before answering, his gaze fell to the ground, as if he was searching for an answer that would just magically appear in the asphalt. It was quite odd, the man who always maintained eye contact with his listener was making eye contact with the ground. His eyes quickly shot up to yours in an intense stare. "I was just on my way to the Avengers Headquarters. I wanted to converse with everyone and inform them of the recent events I have witnessed." His voice trailed off, and once again, he averted his gaze, likely to think to himself.

At this point, you began to wonder what was bothering him so much. You were so used to being engrossed in his rambling, speaking of his allegiance with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, about how they endeavored on such magnificent tasks throughout the Nine Realms, about how he would enjoy slaying beasts with them, and about how Volstagg could eat an entire provision of tortes if he wanted to. Not to mention, as well as how inherently mighty he was and how he was born to inherit the throne on behalf of his father. Half of the time he would brag about these things for hours on end if you let him, but secretly, you revered his confidence, his bravery and his passion for such things. You wished you could talk about it just as he did.

"Why didn't you just fly there? Take the easy way?" you asked him, but maybe you shouldn't have. His brows furrowed, and a profound frown tugged at the corner of his lips. "Don't you think I would have?" You sensed a hint of woe in his voice, so you put an end to your questions to prevent propagating his negativity. With a shaky and nervous voice, you stated, "Well it's pretty far from here, it's upstate. If you really want to get there quickly, I suggest we head there now." His features brightened a little. "Sure, hop on." He patted behind his bottom. "Hold on, because this brand of Midguardian motorcycles isn't made for the faint of heart." Oh, he couldn't have been more right. The hum of the engine sent a tingle up your spine, and the roar erupted in your ears. You liked this ride already, and it hadn't even started yet.

First, it was the usual sight. You rode past the same buildings you strode past every morning during your usual commute to the train station that lead to the Headquarters. After a short while, you descended into a dusky tunnel. You were sure that without the blotches of light emitted from each car's headlights and the installments near the ceilings, it would be pitch black. You wondered how they even constructed it in the first place, and you scorned them in your head as you remembered how this structure was submerged under the Hudson River. At that moment, the fear haunted your every thought, and until you saw daylight, you rubbed your teeth together abrasively to force yourself into oblivion. Once you did reach that moment, though, you were astounded by the greenery on the other side, the tall trees whose leaves swayed liberally in the crisp breeze. That same breeze glided across your face. The temperature change from warm and damp to cool and refreshing was _wonderful._

Needless to say, it only took a few hours to reach your destination. It would have taken even less time if there was no traffic, of course, but that would likely never happen in your lifetime or the next. That was what New York was known for, bustling cities and angry mobs and begging homeless people and trifling hustlers.

Along with Thor, you got off the bike. The large man busted through the doors as if they were the same ones that lead to the throne in Asgard. "Hello again everyone! The strongest avenger has returned!" Not to mention, his face dropped, and so did yours, because no one was there. Or at least, that's what you both thought, until Tony walked into the room, along with Natasha. Steve and the others weren't around. Maybe you missed something…? Tony, of course, showcased his usual demeaning smirk as he glanced at your shoes for a moment, before he removed his right earbud, then pressed a button on his touch screen. "I know, the whole team isn't here. We kinda… uh…" He trailed off.

"We split up. We still contact Steve every now and then to check up on him, though." Natasha interrupted. "But never mind that. We waited for you to come back after everything died down, Thor. What the hell happened? You were gone for like… longer than 2 years."

Thor's face dropped considerably. "It's quite a long story. We should sit down and discuss it." He scratched his head full of thatches and plopped on the couch, and everyone else reciprocated the action. At first, you were too ready to hear what you missed from Thor, but as the stories progressed, you became progressively more confused, and not to mention, upset. Thor spoke of his father's death, his long lost _sister_ Hela (that Odin mentioned only moments before his death) crushing Mjolnir with her bare hand, and how he basically ended up in a trash can with gladiator matches after she shoved him out of the bifrost. That's also how he found Hulk. Somehow, they got out of there with Loki's help along with this _Valkyrie_ girl he spoke of. He said she and her battalion were to exterminate Hela long ago. They did so in vain, as practically every Valkyrie died, with the exception of her, of course. Not to mention, Hela also attempted Thor's life when he finally returned to Asgard, but thankfully, she failed. However, her attempt included her slashing his eye from the socket and Thor allowed Ragnarok. In other words, the total destruction of Asgard and the death of Hela along with it.

Before he got to share his story though, the team also explained the reason for Steve and the others' absence. The Avengers had apparently been reprimanded for causing so much damage in the past few years, so the government established the Sokovia Accords to allow them to continue their work, but under a strict and watchful eye. Tony agreed, Steve didn't, and this whole situation got worse and worse as Bucky was "activated" and became the Winter Soldier again, and some man named T'Challa was involved too, because he thought Bucky was responsible for his father's death. However, it was one unnamed figure behind the scenes, consumed by vengeance, who planned this whole thing after his family died in the attack on Sokovia. If it weren't for him, Tony would have never found out that Bucky was responsible for his parents' deaths. That is what ultimately separated Tony and Steve, as well as the Avengers themselves. Personally, you decided to yourself that you supported Steve's point of view on the Accords, but you disagreed on how he went about it, and how he kept the deepest darkest secret from one of his closest friends and causing the demise of the "World's Mightiest Heroes."

Later that evening, you decided to make a trip to Thor's room to provide comfort for him in any way you could. You two were good friends, so he wouldn't have felt great if you didn't show your face after listening to the tragedy he shared with everyone. It was obvious in his voice that he was reluctant to tell it, and you knew it was a great onus he had to bear, but he felt as though he should have, and he did.

Silently, you arrived at his door, which was slightly ajar, so you peeked through the crack. He was sobbing. His eyepatch was on the bed beside him, and his body was shivering. You had never seen him like this, not until now, of course. Not wanting to be intrusive, you knocked on the door softly, pretending you didn't see what you just saw or hear what you just heard. "Thor, are you alright?" you asked almost silently, barely above a whisper. You saw him quickly put his eyepatch on and head for the door, causing you to step backward hastily.

He swung the door open and took a deep sigh. He didn't make eye contact with you, instead he chose to scan the ground for his answer yet again. "(Name), I think I need to be alone for tonight." Well, so much for trying. You didn't even get to speak before he denied you. He said, "I appreciate you checking up on me, but we should both get to bed. Who knows what Tony will ask of us tomorrow morning. You know, he is still adjusting to the new status of the team." You didn't want to admit it, but Thor was right. It was late, you both were tired, and he already knew that you cared enough to talk to him and confer your troubles. So why not just call it a night?

"Alright, Thor. Have a good night." You both nodded to each other as you turned on your heels and headed to your room. It had been a few weeks since you last stayed in the Headquarters, so your memories of its facility weren't too keen to begin with. But the moment you stepped into the hallway, your memories were instantly procured. Even now, the details still do not fail to impress you: the sleek and modern gray flooring which you could look into and stare at yourself (props to Tony for keeping them so pristine), the same colored walls which were much more matte, and the white ceilings with light fixtures installed. Quite simply designed, but you figured that was essential to making a space look tidy and clean. And not to mention, your room wasn't very far from Thor's.

At least got to enter the room and close the door behind you, but you barely sat on the bed before you saw _him_ sitting in your chair. He was reading a lengthy book like he always does, with his legs crossed, dressed in those emerald and black drapes. He lifted his gaze to you, with those sky-blue eyes and that sly grin, framed by those raven black locks.


	2. The Return to Loki

Suddenly, but without surprise, your eyebrows reached to your hairline at the sight of him. You hadn't seen him since New York, well, you hadn't had a conversation with him since then. That was, without saying, countless years ago. "L-Loki. What are you doing here in the Headquarters?" He exhaled a dry chuckle before asking, "I wanted to see you, (Name). Did you not miss me?" You didn't want to admit it, but, secretly, you did miss him. In fact, you missed him dearly every time you were away from him, but you knew that if you ever mentioned him around the team, they would question your loyalty to their cause. So, you didn't know exactly how to feel or what to say upon witnessing his presence.

"No." You decided to lie, to push him away. That was better than being exiled from your workplace and being dismissed from your friends. "Don't be ridiculous." You said. His expression then became that of disappointment. "Should I dismiss myself then," he asked, "and force myself to forget about our past and leave you forever?" He now towered above you thanks to his formidable height, and his blue eyes locked with yours, holding your own eyes captive in his intense stare. His contemptuous behavior left you utterly speechless. You were shocked, and the silence consumed you and made you shrink into a nervous singularity.

It may have been years since your last encounter with this man, but that didn't change the fact that you were profoundly infatuated with him. Since you first met, his very gaze entranced you, it dictated your every thought. At first you thought it was his magic, but you realized his actions involving you were genuine. No influencing, no coaxing, no tricks. None of that was involved, and it was intriguing; the man who was born to deceive others was the one who completely disposed of his spurious actions within your presence. You couldn't have been that special to him, but it was without question that _he_ was special to _you_. Only, you assumed that, but you couldn't quite discern his feelings towards you whenever he wore that damned smirk across his face.

"Then I suppose I shall excuse myself since you have nothing to say." And just like thin air, he vanished, leaving any secular presence behind to subside. You sighed and shuffled to your nightstand. You knew that you could easily call him back, but that was if you had the wit. Either way, he would not return after he had his last word. You were sure of it, because that was in his nature.

Instead of moping about the previous circumstance, you undressed and gathered your towel and washcloth to bathe. You stepped into one of the most eminent bathrooms you had ever seen. It was just like the one you always wanted–an exquisite cast iron bathtub that was spacious on the inside and curved on the edges, a large sink which posed as a miniature replica, pristine white tiles on the floor and walls, a tiny chandelier, and a large mirror that you could stare into and look at yourself for hours. This was your dream come true. Maybe Tony finally picked up your rambling and constructed this just for you, so it could wait for your next visit. And here you were, looking right at it. Standing right in it. You felt practically royal.

After plugging the drain, you turned the squeaky knobs. You watched the water fall gracefully, and you grabbed the soap and poured it along the stream, yielding bubbles on the surface. You couldn't wait to get in, just watching the bubbles form and smelling the tropical aroma was intoxicating. Without any more time being wasted, you entered the tub one leg at a time, and sank into the warmth of the bath as you turned the knob in the adverse direction. With each minute passing by, you sank deeper, inch by inch, until the water was up to your chin. You thought it would cause your knees to be exposed to the chilly drifts, but the tub was bigger than you thought. So, you closed your eyes.

Suddenly, your mind started racing again. You thought about Loki. About how he spoke to you. How he looked at you. How he stood over you. Everything about him drew you in closer and closer. Your head was oscillating, and you had to quickly open your eyes to make sure the world wasn't spinning. It was insane, what this man could do to you. All these emotions of yours, and you were still unsure of his. One moment, he showed deep affection. The next, he showed liberal attention. However, during your last encounter, you couldn't quite tell what he was attempting to express towards you. He seemed angry, but he was never angry. He was always just so agitated with Midgardians in general. So that's what it was? He was agitated with you? Ugh. All this thinking was degrading your already-pathetic wit. "Get it together, (Name)…" you whispered to yourself.

You let the water graze your bottom lip, and you pressed your eyelids together in hopes of calming down. So much for that. The same thoughts were still racing, as if there was a competition to win. To make it clear what you wanted. At this point, you knew. You were persistent about getting in his head. He was always in yours, anyway, even if he wasn't a mind reader. He always knew your next move. So, your plan was to wiggle your way in his mind and get some information out. What did this man really think about you? You thought again, yet slower. Maybe just ask him…? No, that's too obvious. Well, he probably always knew you felt something different towards him that you never felt towards anyone else. He might not even feel the same way, so why is this whole situation so important?!

JUST. STOP. You opened your eyes and silenced your thoughts as you looked at the marble ceiling. You made it clear to yourself. Next time you see him, just _talk_ to him some more. Don't be so shy. Just take the initiative. His feelings will come out sooner or later and he just came back, give it some time and he will eventually reveal his true emotions. Good… that sounded really good. Just take it easy, (Name). Everything will be fine.

You closed your eyes again, this time more peacefully than before. And you allowed yourself to drift off and let sleep find its way to you. Soon, you became unconscious in its embrace, and all your troubled thoughts ceased to exist.

You woke up not too long after, and the aroma of the meadow you lay in and the sunlight peering thought the clouds met your eyes behind their lids, and so you opened them. The rays were blinding, but your eyes adjusted, and you wiped the hair from your face. You noticed Loki pacing towards you in the distance. After an eternity he finally reached you, ferns in his hand, dressed in his black emerald drapes. He stared at you graciously as his raven black hair gently swayed in the wind. He spoke, but no words came out. No sound whatsoever managed to reach your ears. You saw him mouth, "I love you." You refused to believe he would ever say such a thing to you, and instead you tried to communicate with him. All forms failed (you even yelled at him) until you reached up to him as he continued to speak. You went right through him, just as you thought you would. Even in your _dreams_ he was inaccessible... You began to wonder why you ever took a liking to him when you knew you could never have him.

The aching and longing of your heart slowly woke you from your dream, and you sat up in your bed. Wait, didn't you fall asleep in the tub last night? Who drained it? And more importantly, who removed you from it and placed you in your bed? You were still nude then! You were thankful yet embarrassed that someone would carry you to your primary source of comfort, only to see your body in its naturally bare state as well. However, your mind was too hazy, and your eyelids were too heavy for you to waste time and dwell on it.

You swung your legs over the bed, slipped on your green robe, and followed the heavenly scent of breakfast downstairs into the kitchen. Tony was cooking with Pepper. Pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs waited for you on your plate as it sat idly on the shiny, polished marble, emitting steam into the air. Without looking at you, Tony said, "Better get it while it's still hot, (Name), I just whipped that up for you." Pepper shot a glare at Tony. " _We_ just whipped that up for you." She said to you, still looking at him. You watched incessantly as she turned her focus back onto the gas stove and flipped the next two pancakes in the pan. Tony playfully smacked her arse and she let out a childish giggle. You let out a soft chuckle—feeling slightly embarrassed—and grabbed your glass of orange juice and stepped into the dining hall. It was quite full this morning. Steve, who sat at the very front, stood up to engulf you in his strong and firm embrace. A bit too happily, he said, "Morning, (Sasha)." You glanced around at Thor, Bucky, Wanda, Vision, Natasha, and Bruce as they each gave you whole-hearted smiles and chanted good mornings to you. All this attention made you feel special. It had been so long since you had any…

Steve finally loosened his hold on you after you were held in his embrace for a bit longer than you would have liked. But from a man like him, it didn't bother you much. "Steve, I thought you and Tony had a falling out. Why are you here?" You asked, afraid of the answer. You expected him to scowl, but he showed off a wide grin and said, "Well, that's true, but who said I couldn't visit?" He laughed and went on to say, "Tony didn't have a problem with it, so I wanted to come by for a few weeks. Besides, I missed you guys too much. It's kinda lonely in Wakanda." He pulled out a chair for you and you sat, placing your items on the table. He sat back in his seat. "And we _are_ going to the beach today, by the way." Natasha stated from the other end of the table as she shot a glance at Captain America. "Steve kept persisting, so we had to give in." She chuckled. "When?" you asked. Tony yelled from the kitchen, "In like, ten minutes, so hurry up and finish!" You were excited to go to the beach, but you didn't have a bathing suit. "Is there something wrong, (Name)?" Steve glanced at you as he shoved the last forkful of eggs on his plate into his mouth. You shook your head shyly. "Well, I don't have a bathing suit." He chuckled. "I can help you get one, (Name). It's not such a big deal." He gave you a reassuring smile. "But finish your breakfast, we need to head out soon, while the sun is still up." He said it as if the Sun had only an hour to shine on us. You nodded and quickly finished your plate in less than five minutes, and the team took the remaining time to pack the quinjet and get it going.

You walked outside to join Steve and the others. He had his back facing you, but you felt awkward just looking at his broad shoulders and his oddly long, silky hair. Something told you that he had a strange affinity for you. He was overly nice to you… You pushed the thought away and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, Steve." You looked down and then back up to his blue eyes nervously. "Ready to go?" He grinned and elatedly stated, "As ready as I'll ever be, (Name). I'm gonna make sure you get the swimsuit you like, and I'm also gonna make sure you're gonna have a fun time at the beach." He took your hand in his and led you inside the quinjet. As the door closed, Natasha and Steve started to talk, and Nat made a few glances at you. She seemed a bit amused but concerned—maybe decisive—at the same time. Of course, they were talking about you. You saw Tony start up the quinjet up front. Bucky sat beside Steve and, of course, Vision and Wanda sat beside each other. She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. They were so happy… You loved the connection they shared, even you could feel it and you weren't even that close with them. Vision did have very interesting conversations to bring forth, and Wanda was so open-minded about them, she was so _accepting_. They were the perfect couple. They were perfect for each other.

Thor sat beside you, ripping your attention away from them and brining you to the present. "How did you sleep last night, (Name)?" Oh, shit. Don't mention Loki, don't mention Loki. Just focus on the bath you took. "I took a bath last night, but I… I woke up in my bed." Damn it, why did you tell him that? His brows furrowed. "Do you know how that happened?" To be honest, no. You didn't. "Maybe Steve did. I'm not sure." He leaned his head against the wall of the quinjet as it took off into the blue. "Well I certainly think it to be quite odd. But maybe you sleepwalked." Yeah, you would like to believe that. "Yeah, I think so, too." You said. You could feel the perspiration trickling down your spine and the heat washing over you like a huge wave. The two of you sat idly in silence until you reached the beach not long after.

You got out and walked to Nat and matched her path to the sand. "N-Natasha…" She quickly lifted her gaze to you as she pulled off her shirt and unzipped her pants before removing them entirely. "Yeah, what's wrong?" You gulped. "Um, what were you and Steve talking about earlier?" She laughed. "Oh, that. He was just worrying about what bathing suit to get you. He's actually going to do that now." She pointed to Steve, who walked into the closest clothing shop. Why would he ever buy something so close to the beach? The prices were always so high because everyone loved to be there. Well, most likely, he didn't care about the money. He wanted to "make sure you get the swimsuit you like." You let out a soft chuckle and followed behind Nat to the waves, and Bruce quickly joined her. He gave you an awkward smile and returned his attention to Nat before she pecked his cheek and giggled. You rolled up the bottom of your jeans and let the cool water splash onto your feet. It was so relaxing… You saw Thor in the water, surfing. He seemed to really be enjoying himself. You knew that if he wasn't talking about Asgard, he was talking about the waves and how he would ride them, and how he _could_ ride them from sunrise to sunset. Now you saw how much he really enjoyed it. Wanda and Vision sat in the sand, making tiny castles and moats. Again, you thought about the affinity they shared with each other. You looked up into the sky. No clouds were in sight. Just the sun and its rays of light.

You dropped your attention to your feet, as the miniature waves passed your ankles. You walked deeper until the waves crashed onto your stomach. Your jeans and shirt were soaked. You walked further until the waves reached your chin, your eyes heavily glazed over and your muscles moving without control. You were frightened. One more step, and you the water would invade your mouth and fill your lungs and you would drown. The waves crashed onto you harder and harder. Eventually they submerged you completely. That was it. The water filled your lungs and you began to sink into the depths of the blue. The strain was awful, but it was inescapable. Soon, everything went black.

You woke up in the same meadow from earlier. The same chain of events linked together. Loki walked towards you. He mouthed the three words. Yet again, you reached up to him, and went through him. "(Name)…" The oddly familiar voice echoed into your ears from the distance. "(NAME)." It was closer now. It was definitely closer. You blinked, and your eyes opened to a blinding light that diminished with an orangey disintegrating effect. The vivid lavender ferns and the cloudy blue sky were gradually replaced by pale green walls and a small chandelier, but Loki was still hovering above you, just like he was in the dream. You shifted your head against your pillow to glance at the bedside lamp, then back at him. Wait, your head was on a pillow… and… your body was lying in a bed. "W-Where am I?" you asked, Loki eyeing you intensely. "You are in my home. I found you washed up on the shore a week ago." You shook your head in disbelief. "I was with the others. With Steve and Natasha and…" You couldn't finish your sentence. Tears plucked your eyes. All you wanted to do was go back to them. Deep down you were happy to see Loki, but you didn't know what he would do. For all you knew, he had you all to himself.


End file.
